Ana-Maria Funeral Services

10/12/2025

The minister for mental health is looking into changing the process of registering a stillbirth for grieving parents.

04/12/2025

30/11/2025

Sometimes, words can’t express what’s in our hearts — but music can.

During Janet's mother's funeral, the family had been holding back their emotions throughout the formal service. Then someone started playing ‘Here Comes the Sun’—the Beatles song her mum had hummed and danced to every morning whilst making breakfast. Janet's teenage son immediately cried, remembering weekend mornings when Grandma would dance around the kitchen. Her uncle began quietly singing along, and by the time the song ended, everybody was sobbing—because of the shared memory of a woman who'd found joy in a simple song.

It’s moments like these that remind us how powerful rituals can be. A song, a gesture, a story — they help us express love and loss in ways that words alone can’t.

Explore how simple rituals bring meaning, comfort, and connection - link in comments

18/11/2025

When someone we love dies, our minds might know they’re gone — but our hearts can take longer to accept it.

That’s where funeral rituals help. They give us a way to face reality gently, surrounded by love and support.

“Seeing the coffin, knowing he was unreachable — that’s when I understood he wasn’t coming home.”

Funerals aren’t just events. They help our hearts catch up, allowing us to honour, remember, and begin to heal.

Read how rituals create meaning in farewell - link in comments:

05/11/2025

Last week, the bosses flew to Wellington to celebrate an incredible milestone.
26 years of dedicated service in the funeral industry by our amazing Ana-Maria!
Your compassion, leadership, and commitment have touched countless lives. We’re so proud to stand beside you and learn from your example every day.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the funeral directors who are close to, or have accomplished, this outstanding feat.
Your years of service reflect deep empathy, resilience, and a calling that goes far beyond a career.
Thank you for the care you’ve provided and the lives you’ve touched.

04/11/2025

An afternoon at the “races”… 🐎🐎

13/10/2025

I'm forever blown away by the stories that come through, from mums who lost their baby or child many years ago, in a time when the unspoken expectation was to simply move on and forget.

I remember telling my Grandfather, right before he passed, about the work I do with Angel Casts. I was nervous, as I wasn't sure how his generation would view bereavement work.
He was surprised, touched, and then tears filled his eyes. He told me that he and Grandma had lost a baby at full term, they hadn't told anyone outside of the 'need to knows'. A sadness washed over his face as he admitted they never saw their baby. They were never told if it was a boy or a girl. They never even knew where their baby was buried.

At that time, doctors, nurses, family and society believed that if parents didn’t know the gender, they couldn’t name their baby. And if they didn’t have a name, they wouldn’t grieve. We know now how heartbreaking and untrue that was.
My Grandad said the grief never left him. That it hurt even more not being able to talk about that child, to include them as part of the family, to have a resting place to visit, or memories to hold.

So it deeply touches me when people reach out and tell us how healing it has been to follow our page, to feel seen, and to know they’re not alone. Times have changed. We understand now the importance of acknowledging life and loss, of making memories that give grief a place to rest and breathe, through all its many shapes and seasons.

This Baby Loss Awareness Week, we hold in our hearts the 1,083 families who have come through our doors, each one with their own story, their own heartbreak, and their own beautiful memories that have helped to shape the heart of Angel Casts.

This Wednesday we will be lighting candles as part of the Global Wave of Light, to remember all 1083 lives that touched ours, and the many thousands more around NZ who are dearly loved and missed everyday.

x Jen

01/10/2025

One last ride....🏁
Photo Credit Fond Memories
Casket Design Dying Art

01/09/2025

Posted in All, Blog; Posted 30 mins ago by Sam - Representing the Funeral Directors Association Less than a minute to read

21/08/2025

Tonight I’m filling the moulds I took earlier today at a local funeral home. They belong to a beautiful little boy who was too early to stay. Sending much aroha to his whaanau tonight. I hope these keepsakes will bring some comfort on difficult days ahead.
x Jen

19/08/2025

A special delivery from an incredible Ōtorohanga florist.
Thank you so much Iona from Moss & Co Floral Design. ❤️